Fitness is about discipline, not motivation

When I started to think about getting in shape I would ask people for their thoughts. Every single person told me that the key is motivation. And once you have that you are guaranteed to be successful. I quickly came to realize that motivation is important and that it comes in many different forms:

Motivation gets you mentally prepared and ready to get into fitness

Motivation gets you pumped up about getting in shape

Motivation is the first step of doing anything

I felt a switch flip inside me that led to my current journey of fitness. And while I felt extremely motivated I couldn’t buy myself anything for that. Being motivated is a great feeling and made me want to change my life for the better.

Motivation is not enough

But, over the course of my journey I’ve come to realize that motivation alone is not enough: Fitness is about discipline. Only discipline will actually change your behavior and lead to real results.

Motivation might get you to the gym for week, or two. But, it’s discipline – consistent discipline – that will get you to the gym or working out day after day.

I’m proud to share that for the last year I’ve gotten up at or before 6 a.m. to workout at least three to four times a week. This discipline is what has lead to great fitness results for me.

Defining discipline and motivation

The definition of the two words gives insight into the relationship between motivation and discipline.

mo·ti·va·tion
noun
the general desire or willingness of someone to do something

The words to focus on here are “desire” a willingness”. Having those makes you want to do something, but does not mean that you are actually going to do it.

dis·ci·pline
verb
train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.

On the other hand, the phrase to focus in on for discipline is “to do something”.

While motivation gives you desire to do something, discipline actually gets you to do it.

And. I’ll even take it a step further. While discipline is good, consistent discipline is great. You need to realize that the journey to fitness is a long and winding road that never ends.

Conclusion

Want to get into fitness? Then, find your own personal reason to get motivated. Then once you are motivated, ensure success by developing consistent discipline.